In recent years, the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) market and other areas of semiconductor processing have had a rapid growth. The fabrication of MEMS evolved from the process technology in semiconductor device fabrication, including deposition processes, etching processes, and other technologies capable of manufacturing small devices.
One of those technologies, a Bosch process, is widely used to achieve extremely high aspect ratio and high etch rate etching of silicon microstructures used throughout the MEMS industry. The Bosch process is a switched process characterized by alternating steps of silicon etch, polymer deposition, and polymer break through. This process is cycled until the required etch depth is achieved.